2004 198 Elite - fuel gauge bouncing needle

[R1Peacock]

Original owner of a 2004 198 Elite.

Had the boat out on the upper Chesapeake yesterday and noticed for the first time in 16 years the fuel gauge needle bouncing around erratically at times. I probably actually had 1/2 a tank of gas but the needle was going from (below E) to full, back to half. It eventually stopped doing this and leveled out to show a little bit less than 1/2 tank as expected. This wasn’t caused by a boat wake. Any ideas — Gauge going bad or is there an easy to get to sending unit for the fuel level (like behind the middle seat - unscrew the panel). Part numbers ?

[Jayzo7161]

I'm having the same issue.......interested in responses

[R1Peacock]

Well I did find a good YouTube Video on the topic with detailed instructions how to test the gauge, wire connections and fuel sending unit. Now I need to find some free time to take a look at the boat. We are also in a heat wave this week with day temps near or at 100 Degrees with heat indexes at 110+.

[Mizzou211]

Sounds like a shoddy ground connection on the surface of it...

[tailchaser]

check the wires on back, mine was doing that and turned out the wires on back were loose.

[Spidergrub]

On wiring of gauges. On my 2003 Champion 206 all of the wires on the back of the gauges are push connects onto the poles on the gauges. Should I think about cutting the push connects off and switching everything over to ring terminals?

I just replaced my tach for the 2nd time on this boat, my water pressure gauge for the first time and my fuel gauge for the first time, I tested the fuel gauge and it tested as good but I replaced it anyway since it was pegging past full and I had bought a new gauge, put new gauge in and it went to 3/4 tank which I think is pretty close to what I think I should have.